


Meiosis for Beginners

by Brumeier



Series: From the Ashes [4]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Kid Fic, M/M, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-27 17:43:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13885863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: LJ Comment Fic for Birth & Death prompt:Any, Any/Any, Having the most awkward "birds & the bees" talk with their child.In which Lily asks where babies come from and Rodney panics.





	Meiosis for Beginners

"How did the babies get in there?" 

Rodney shared a look of utter panic with John over Lily's head. He should've anticipated that this day was imminent. Lily was five, and she had an inquisitive mind. She questioned everything. Of course she'd want to know about her new siblings-to-be. 

"Love," John said. 

"But how?" Lily insisted. She pushed her dinner plate away and propped her elbows on the table. 

"I don't suppose you'd buy a story about a really big bird?" Rodney asked hopefully. 

He wasn't ready to have this discussion with his little, perfect girl. She didn't need to know about vaginas and penises and sperm, especially not when she was wearing a shirt with a purple, glittery unicorn on it. 

"Poppa," Lily said. The eyebrow raise she gave him was all John. 

"I'd steer clear of cabbage patches too," John suggested with a grin. Traitor husband. 

Rodney wondered which version to try and explain. Classic hetero sex, or the invitro method they'd used with Amy? One was more accurate than the other, but would Lily be able to relate to other kids her age if she didn't know the more conventional method? 

"Love," John said again. "Babies should always start with love." 

"But how did they get in Amy's belly?" 

"Sex!" Rodney blurted out, and then flushed when John scowled at him. "I mean, traditionally, a mommy and a daddy would have sex to make a baby." 

Lily gave that some serious consideration before asking for further clarification. "Do you drink that?" 

John tried – unsuccessfully – to cover his laugh with a cough. Rodney didn't know what was funny. It was important that Lily didn't go around spreading misinformation like most of her peers were likely to do. 

"Sex is something they do, not something they ingest. Well, technically --" 

"Rodney," John said warningly. 

"Oh. Right." Save the oral sex talk for much, much later. Or possibly never. 

"Is sex what you did with Amy?" Lily asked. 

"No. That was different because Amy and I aren't married. We did something called invitro fertilization. You see, a baby is made when you introduce a sperm to an egg. The cells divide, and keep dividing, until --" Rodney was distracted by John making slashing movements across his throat. "What?" 

"Listen, Bumper," John said. "All you need to know is that a little bit of the mom and a little bit of the dad get mixed together and turn into a baby. That's how we made you, with extra love because we wanted you so much." 

Lily beamed. "Thanks, Daddy!" 

She slid out of her chair and ran around the table to give John a hug. 

"But...I barely covered cell meiosis!" 

Lily hugged Rodney too. "It's okay Poppa. You can tell me when I'm older." 

She ran off, pigtails bobbing. 

"I'm not ready for this," Rodney admitted. "She's too little. I don't want her knowing anything about sex. I don't ever want her _having_ sex." 

John got out of his chair and stood behind Rodney's, hands on his shoulders. "We need to put together a plan of action for when she asks again. No meiosis. And for god's sake, no oral!" 

"Yes, no, that was...I won't do that again." Rodney tipped his head back and John bent down to kiss him. "The good news is that when the new babies need the talk we'll be better at it. Right?" 

"Couldn't be much worse," John said with a smirk. "Come on. Let's clean up. Then we can start working on Meiosis for Beginners." 

Rodney pulled him down for one more kiss. "Okay. Lily! Come clear your plate, please!" 

While the three of them cleaned up the kitchen, Rodney wondered what other terrible questions his little girl might come up with. Parenting...nothing but pitfalls with hugs and sloppy kisses mixed in. But somehow still the greatest thing Rodney had ever done. 

_I love you_ , Rodney signed to Lily before she ran off to play. 

_Love you_ , Lily signed back with a big grin. 

Yup. Definitely worth it.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** Couldn't resist this prompt, which reminded me of the only time my son asked about babies and where they come from. "Do they drink it?" is a direct quote, only I found it way funnier than Rodney did. ::grins::


End file.
